Light gauge metal truss system and method

Abstract

A truss system wherein the structural components and fixtures are formed from light gauge metal. The trusses are fabricated from roll formed truss chord members and truss web members. The truss chord members are roll formed to have a generally U-shaped cross-section with a base and two substantially parallel legs with recessed web attachment faces and outwardly extending stiffening flanges to improve structural capacity thus improving the strength-to-weight ratio of the chord member and minimizing costs. The truss web members are formed by nesting two roll formed C-shaped members to form a web member which is box-shaped in cross section. The web members provide the structural advantages of a box-shaped member and the ease and flexibility of a roll formed member. The truss system and method provides improved means and methods for positioning and attaching the web members to the chord members as well as improved truss clips for resistance to uplifting forces and improved truss jack clips for forming hip connections.

What is claimed is:  
     
       1. An elongated structural chord member comprising in cross section: 
       a base; and  
       two substantially parallel legs extending in the same direction from the longitudinal edges of said base over the length thereof at a substantially right angle thereto, each of said legs comprising:  
       a first outer face adjacent said base;  
       a web attachment face, the plane of the web attachment face being substantially parallel to the plane of said first outer face;  
       a portion interconnecting said first outer face and said web attachment face, said interconnecting portion extending inwardly at a substantially right angle from the distal edge of said first outer face and outwardly at a substantially right angle from the longitudinal edge of said web attachment free adjacent said base; and  
       a reinforcement flange extending from the distal edge of said web attachment face over a portion o the length thereof, said flange comprising a lateral flange portion extending outwardly at a substantially right angle from a distal edge of said web attachment face and an outer flange face extending toward said base at a substantially right angle from the outer edge of said lateral flange portion, said outer flange face being substantially coplanar with said first outer face.  
     
     
       2. The chord member of  claim 1  wherein the longitudinal width of the legs is greater than the longitudinal width of the base. 
     
     
       3. The chord member of  claim 1  wherein said reinforcement flange extends from the distal edge of said web attachment face over the length thereof. 
     
     
       4. The chord member of  claim 1  wherein said reinforcement flange terminates at a point spaced from at least one end of said chord member on one of said legs. 
     
     
       5. The chord member of  claim 1  wherein said reinforcement flange terminates at a point spaced from at least one end of said chord member on both of said legs. 
     
     
       6. The chord member of  claim 5  wherein the web attachment faces are apertured between the point of termination of said reinforcement flange and the end of said chord member to thereby facilitate attachment of said chord member to a structural member received between said web attachment faces adjacent the end thereof. 
     
     
       7. The chord member of  claim 1  wherein said web attachment face includes one or more apertured portions along the length thereof. 
     
     
       8. The chord member of  claim 7  wherein said first outer face forms one or more pilot holes along the length of the one or more apertured portions of the web attachment face. 
     
     
       9. A single-piece roll-formed generally U-shaped elongated structural chord member of light gauge metal comprising in cross-section: 
       a base; and  
       two substantially parallel legs extending from the longitudinal edges of said base, each of said legs comprising:  
       a first outer face adjacent said base along the length thereof;  
       a second outer face adjacent the distal end of said leg along a portion of the length thereof, said second outer face being substantially coplanar with said first outer face; and  
       an inwardly recessed web attachment face connected at each end thereof to one of said outer faces along the length thereof by a lateral portion extending outwardly at a substantially right angle from said web attachment face.  
     
     
       10. The chord member of  claim 9  wherein said second outer face and said lateral portion connecting said second outer face with said web attachment face terminate at a point spaced from at least one end of said chord member. 
     
     
       11. The chord member of  claim 10  wherein the web attachment face is apertured between (i) the point of termination of said second outer face and said lateral portion connecting said second outer face with said web attachment face and (ii) the end of said chord member space from the point of termination. 
     
     
       12. The chord member of  claim 9  wherein said web attachment member includes one or more apertured portions along the length thereof. 
     
     
       13. The chord member of  claim 9  wherein said first outer face includes one or more apertures for aligning one or more web members received between said web attachment faces. 
     
     
       14. The chord member of  claim 13  wherein the web attachment face includes an apertured portion adjacent the one or more apertures in said first outer face. 
     
     
       15. The chord member of  claim 9  formed from light gauge metal. 
     
     
       16. The chord member of  claim 9  wherein the distance between said web attachment members is greater than one and one half inches. 
     
     
       17. The chord member of  claim 9  having a portion of one or more elongated web members received between said web attachment faces, one or more of said web members comprising a pair of elongated members, each of said members comprising in cross-section a web and two flanges extending from the longitudinal edges of said web in the same direction at a substantially right angle thereto, one of said flanges extending farther from said web than the other of said flanges, each of said flanges terminating in an inwardly turned lip extending toward the other of the flanges, said members being nested so that the shorter of the flanges of each member is adjacent to and inside of the longer of the flanges of the other member so that the two nested members form a generally box-shaped web member. 
     
     
       18. The chord member of  claim 17  wherein the distance between said web attachment faces is greater than one and done-half inches and the web members are at least two and one-half inches wide. 
     
     
       19. An elongated structural chord member comprising in cross-section: 
       a base portion comprising a generally planar base, an outer face extending from each longitudinal edge of said base at a substantially right angle thereto, and a lateral face extending inwardly from the distal edge of each outer face at substantially a right angle thereto; and  
       two substantially parallel web attachment faces, each web attachment face extending from an inner edge of one of said lateral faces at a substantially right angle thereto.  
     
     
       20. The chord member of  claim 19  further comprising a reinforcement flange extending from the distal edge of each web attachment face, each of said reinforcement flanges comprising a lateral flange face extending outwardly from the distal edge of said web attachment face at a substantially right angle thereto and an outer flange face extending toward said base from said lateral flange face at a substantially right angle thereto. 
     
     
       21. The chord member of  claim 20  wherein an outer face is substantially coplanar with an outer flange face. 
     
     
       22. A single-piece roll-formed elongated structural chord member comprising in cross-section a base and two substantially parallel legs extending from the longitudinal edges of said base at a substantially right angle thereto, each of said legs comprising a pair of coplanar faces and another of substantially parallel faces, each of said pair of faces being substantially perpendicular to the other of said pair of faces. 
     
     
       23. A single-piece roll-formed elongated structural chord member comprising in cross-section a base and two substantially parallel legs extending from the longitudinal edges of said base at a substantially right angle thereto, each of said legs comprising a web attachment face and a pair of substantially parallel faces, one of said pair of faces extending laterally from each longitudinal edge of said web attachment face at a substantially right angle thereto and substantially the same distance therefrom. 
     
     
       24. A single-piece roll-formed elongated structural chord member comprising in cross-section eleven faces, each of said faces being either substantially parallel to or substantially perpendicular to the other of said faces, a first pair of substantially coplanar faces being substantially parallel with a second pair of substantially coplanar faces, and a third and fourth pair of substantially coplanar faces being substantially perpendicular to said first and second pairs of substantially coplanar faces. 
     
     
       25. A generally U-shaped elongated structural chord member comprising in cross-section four pair of substantially coplanar faces. 
     
     
       26. A generally U-shaped elongated structural chord member comprising in cross-section at least seven faces, each of said faces being either substantially parallel to or substantially perpendicular to the other of said faces, the U-shaped member in cross-section being at least as long as it is wide. 
     
     
       27. The chord member of  claim 26  wherein the number of faces is eleven. 
     
     
       28. The chord member of  claim 26  comprising four pair of substantially coplanar faces. 
     
     
       29. The chord member of  claim 26  wherein each leg of the chord member comprises a pair of substantially coplanar faces and another pair of faces substantially perpendicular to said pair of substantially coplanar faces. 
     
     
       30. A single-piece roll-formed elongated structural chord member of light gauge metal comprising in cross-section a base and two substantially parallel legs extending from the longitudinal edges of said base over the length thereof at a substantially right angle thereto, 
       each of said legs including first and second coplanar faces at opposite ends thereof and a third face parallel to but inwardly spaced from said coplanar faces; and  
       a pair of lateral faces interconnecting said third face to said first and second faces, said pair of lateral faces being substantially perpendicular to said first, second and third faces.  
     
     
       31. A truss comprising: 
       an elongated upper chord member;  
       an elongated lower chord member;  
       and a plurality of interconnecting web members,  
       said upper or lower chord member being a generally U-shaped elongated structural chord member comprising in cross-section at least seven faces, each of said faces being either substantially parallel to or substantially perpendicular to the other of said faces.  
     
     
       32. The truss of  claim 31  wherein said upper or lower chord member comprises in cross-section: 
       a base; and  
       two substantially parallel legs extending from the longitudinal edges of said base, each of said legs comprising:  
       a first outer face adjacent said base along the length thereof;  
       a second outer face adjacent the distal end of said leg along a portion of the length thereof, said second outer face being substantially coplanar with said outer face; and  
       an inwardly recessed web attachment face connected at each end thereof to one of said outer faces along the length thereof by a lateral portion extending outwardly at a substantially right angle from said web attachment face.  
     
     
       33. The truss of  claim 32  wherein one or more of said web members comprises a pair of elongated members, each of said members comprising in cross-section a web and two flanges extending from the longitudinal edges of said web in the same direction at a substantially right angle thereto, one of said flanges extending farther from said web than the other of said flanges, each of said flanges terminating in an inwardly turned lip extending toward the other of the flanges, said members being nested so that the shorter of the flanges of each member is adjacent to and inside the longer of the flanges of the other member so that the two nested members form a generally box-shaped web member. 
     
     
       34. The chord member of  claim 33  wherein the distance between said web attachment faces is greater than one and one-half inches and the web members are at least two and one-half inches wide. 
     
     
       35. The truss of  claim 32  wherein said upper and lower chord member comprises in cross-section: 
       a base; and  
       two substantially parallel legs extending from the longitudinal edges of said base, each of said legs comprising:  
       a first outer face adjacent said base along the length thereof;  
       a second outer face adjacent the distal end of said leg along a portion of the length thereof, said second outer face being substantially coplanar with said first outer face; and  
       an inwardly recessed web attachment face connected at each end thereof to one of said outer faces along the length thereof by a lateral portion extending outwardly at a substantially right angle from said web attachment face.  
     
     
       36. The truss of  claim 31  wherein said upper or lower chord member comprises in cross-section: 
       a base; and  
       two substantially parallel legs extending in the same direction from the longitudinal edges of said base over the length thereof at a substantially right angle thereto, each of said legs comprising:  
       a first outer face adjacent said base;  
       a web attachment face, the plane of the web attachment face being substantially parallel to the plane of said first outer face;  
       a portion interconnecting said first outer face and said web attachment face, said interconnecting portion extending inwardly at a substantially right angle from the distal edge of said first outer face and outwardly at a substantially right angle from the longitudinal edge of said web attachment face adjacent said base; and  
       a reinforcement flange extending from the distal edge of said web attachment face over a portion of the length thereof, said flange comprising a lateral flange portion extending outwardly at a substantially right angle from the distal edge of said web attachment face and an outer flange face extending toward said base at a substantially right angle from the outer edge of said lateral flange portion, said outer flange face being substantially coplanar with said first outer face.  
     
     
       37. The chord member of  claim 36  wherein said reinforcement flange terminates at a point spaced from at least one end of said chord member on one of said legs. 
     
     
       38. The chord member of  claim 36  wherein said reinforcement flange terminates at a point spaced from at least one end of said chord member on both of said legs. 
     
     
       39. The chord member of  claim 36  wherein the web attachment faces are apertured between the point of termination of said reinforcement flange and the end of said chord member to thereby facilitate attachment of said chord member to a structural member received between said web attachment faces adjacent the end thereof. 
     
     
       40. The chord member of  claim 36  wherein said web attachment face includes one or more apertured portions along the length thereof. 
     
     
       41. The chord member of  claim 40  wherein said first outer face forms one or more pilot holes along the length of the one or more apertured portions of the web attachment face. 
     
     
       42. The truss of  claim 41  comprising a pair of upper chord members coupled at the upper ends thereof to form a peak, and each end of said lower chord member being coupled to a lower end of one of said upper chord members. 
     
     
       43. The truss of  claim 42  wherein a portion of the web attachment faces adjacent the upper end of one upper chord member overlie a portion of the web attachment faces adjacent the upper end of the other upper chord member. 
     
     
       44. The truss of  claim 43  wherein the upper end of a substantially vertical web member is received between the overlying web attachment faces of said upper chord members. 
     
     
       45. A truss comprising: 
       an elongated upper chord member;  
       an elongated lower chord member; and  
       a plurality of interconnecting web members, one or more of said web members being an elongated structural load bearing member comprising a pair of elongated members, each of said members comprising in cross-section a web and two flanges extending from the longitudinal edges of said web in the same direction at a substantially right angle thereto, one of said flanges extending farther from said web than the other of said flanges, each of said flanges terminating in an inwardly turned lip extending toward the other of the flanges, said members being nested so that the shorter of the flanges of each member is adjacent to and inside of the longer of the flanges of the other member so that the two nested members form a generally box-shaped web member,  
       wherein said upper or lower chord member comprises in cross-section:  
       a base portion comprising a generally planar base, an outer face extending from each longitudinal edge of said base at a substantially right angle thereto, and a lateral face extending inwardly from the distal edge of each outer face at substantially a right angle thereto;  
       two substantially parallel web attachment faces, each web attachment face extending from an inner edge of one of said lateral faces at a substantially right angle thereto; and  
       a reinforcement flange extending from the distal edge of each web attachment face, each of said reinforcement flanges comprising a lateral flange face extending outwardly from the distal edge of said web attachment face at a substantially right angle thereto and an outer flange face extending toward said base from said lateral flange face at a substantially right angle thereto.  
     
     
       46. A method of making a plurality of elongated structural chord members comprising the steps of: 
       (a) providing an elongated sheet of light gauge metal;  
       (b) forming one or more elongated grids of apertures along the length of the sheet;  
       (c) forming one or more pilot holes in one or more of the apertured portions of the sheet;  
       (d) removing portions of the sheet from each elongated edge thereof to thereby form one or more elongated narrowed portions along the length of the sheet;  
       (e) bending the sheet to form a generally U-shaped elongated structural member; and  
       (f) transversely cutting the elongated member in each narrowed portion thereof to thereby form a plurality of generally U-shaped elongated structural chord members.  
     
     
       47. The method of  claim 46  wherein the portions removed from the sheet are generally T-shaped. 
     
     
       48. A method of fabricating a truss comprising the steps of: 
       (a) providing an upper and a lower elongated structural chord member, the chord members comprising in cross-section:  
       a base portion comprising a generally planar base, an outer face extending from each longitudinal edge of said base at a substantially right angle thereto, and a lateral face extending inwardly from the distal edge of each outer face at substantially a right angle thereto; and  
       two substantially parallel web attachment faces, each web attachment face extending from an inner edge of one of said lateral faces at a substantially right angle thereto; and  
       (b) providing a plurality of interconnecting elongated structural web members, the web members comprising a pair of elongated members, each of said members comprising in cross-section a web and two flanges extending from the longitudinal edges of said web in the same direction at a substantially right angle thereto, one of said flanges extending farther from said web than the other of said flanges, each of said flanges terminating in an inwardly turned lip extending toward the other of the flanges, said members being nested so that the shorter of the flanges of each member is adjacent to and inside of the longer of the flanges of the other member so that the two nested members form a generally box-shaped web member; and  
       (c) positioning and attaching one end of each web member between the web attachment faces of the upper chord member and positioning and attaching the other end of the web members between the web attachment faces of the lower chord member.  
     
     
       49. A method of fabricating a truss comprising the steps of: 
       (a) providing upper and lower elongated structural chord members, each of the chord members having a generally U-shaped cross-section adapted to attachably receive the end portions of elongated structural web members between the legs forming the generally U-shaped cross-section thereof;  
       (b) providing one or more grids of apertures along the length of the legs of the chord members;  
       (c) providing one or more pilot holes along the length of the chord member to thereby facilitate the positioning of web members for attachment to the chord members;  
       (d) providing a plurality of interconnecting elongated structural web members;  
       (e) positioning and attaching one end of each web member between the legs of the upper chord member and positioning and attaching the other end of the web members between the legs of lower chord member,  
       wherein the chord members comprise in cross-section:  
       a base portion comprising a generally planar base, an outer face extending from each longitudinal edge of said base at a substantially right angle thereto, and a lateral face extending inwardly from the distal edge of each outer face at substantially a right angle thereto; and  
       two substantially parallel web attachment faces, each web attachment face extending from an inner edge of one of said lateral faces at a substantially right angle thereto.